The invention relates to a method of creating a solderable metal layer on a ceramic, glass, or glass ceramic member.
A layer of an aluminum containing mixture is deposited on the ceramic, glass, or glass ceramic member by ion vapor deposition creating a metalized ceramic member. The aluminum containing mixture is cleaned, dried, and heated and a photoresist is placed on the aluminum. A photomask is place on the photoresist and the exposed portions of the photoresist are exposed to a light source. The photomask is removed and the portions of the photoresist that were exposed to the light source is stripped off to selectively expose the underlying aluminum containing mixture. The selectively exposed aluminum containing mixture is removed with an aluminum etchant exposing the underlying ceramic, glass, or glass ceramic member. The remaining portions of the photoresist are stripped off exposing the remaining aluminum containing mixture. The remaining aluminum containing mixture is plated with a metal corrosion barrier. The metal corrosion barrier is then plated with a solderable layer.
The resulting structure provides solderable and adherent metal layers with high ductility and high electrical and thermal conductivities. Devices fabricated using the disclosed method are required by modern microelectronics packages consisting of discrete semiconductor power devices or power modules having multiple semiconductor power devices. There are myriad applications for devices fabricated with the disclosed method such as lid arrays for discrete power devices and thermal bases of multi power device modules.
Such devices improve the cost, performance, yield, and reliability of metalized ceramic members.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method for fabricating a solderable layer on a metalized ceramic, glass, or glass ceramic member.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel method for creating a solderable layer on a metalized ceramic, glass, or glass ceramic member on the top, bottom, and through holes of the member.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel method for creating solderable layers on a metalized ceramic, glass, or glass ceramic member that provide high ductility, high electrical conductivity, and high thermal conductivity.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel method for creating solderable layers on a metalized ceramic, glass, or glass ceramic member that improves the cost, performance, yield, and reliability of metalized ceramic, glass, or glass ceramic members.
These and many other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawing, and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.